Buffalo Grove Student Named National Merit Semifinalist

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — A Buffalo Grove High School student has been named a semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Varun Venkatesh was selected as a semifinalist, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

More than 16,000 high school seniors nationwide were named semifinalists this year. They represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and will compete for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million.

Students entered the competition through the 2025 PSAT/NMSQT. Semifinalists must complete an application, maintain a strong academic record, receive a recommendation from a school official, write an essay and earn qualifying SAT or ACT scores to become finalists.

About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist status.